How to Plan Your Press Release for Multiple Channels
Most of the time, you’re distributing your press release across multiple channels. You may share it on social media sites. You might publish it on your website or blog. And you may pitch it to a journalist or share it with your email subscribers. Those channels, in addition to leveraging a distribution service, can pose a few challenges. You want to make sure you get the most impact with your release. It can require a bit of careful planning.
Integrate Social Sharing Options
Press releases that have social media functionality and features can expand your reach and awareness, not to mention your engagement. Many times, people think only to include social sharing when they distribute their press release on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. However, that can be a mistake.
For example, if you include social sharing features on a press release that you email to your list, your subscribers then have the option to share your release, tweet specific quotes or facts from your release, or to engage with you on social channels. When planning your press release, don’t forget to include social sharing buttons and links as well as tweetable and shareable content.
Visual Press Releases
The traditional press release issued to a journalist or reporter may be void of images. This is a mistake but it’s common. The goal when pitching a story idea to the media is to get them excited about the story, and reporters are just as visual as your customers and prospects.
They tend to respond more favorably when there are images and even video embedded into your press release. And, when you’re distributing your press release across multiple channels, it makes good sense to add images into the planning phase. Press releases perform better on social sites when they have images.
Images are indexed by search engines so they can benefit your SEO. And they add interest and personality when you’re simply posting the press release on your website. The one thing to keep in mind during the press release planning stage is the size of your image.
For example, the size you can share on social media may be larger than the image size your email subscribers can easily upload when they open your email. Pay attention to image size requirements and loading times.
Timing Matters
Take care when planning the timing of your press release distribution. For example, if you post your release on social media, it will be posted immediately. However, if you’ve used a distribution service, it can take a few hours, up to 24, to get approval and distribution. Time the publication and distribution of your release so that it reaches your priority audience first. If you want a journalist to have it first, schedule mass distribution for several days after you’ve pitched to the journalist.
Take a few minutes to determine your goals, your channels, and the timing of your press release before you write it and begin the distribution process. A few key steps can help you get the most impact for your efforts.
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